Spent three days in early spring exploring Kanawinka Geo Park region.
We visited Tower Hill near Warrnambool (VIC), Mount Gambier and Mount Schank (SA), Naracoorte Caves (SA), Nigretta Falls and Wannon Falls (VIC) and Byaduk Caves and Tumuli in Mount Napier State Park (VIC).
Please see more information by visiting links below.
West of the Byaduk caves, near the limits of the Harmans Valley flow, are a number of unusual clusters known as Lava Tumuli or blisters. These unusual circular mounds or hummocks of rock, up to 10 metres high and 20 metres in diameter, were caused by the pressure of the liquid lava flow beneath the thin crust of the lava tubes. These lava domes are considered to be unique in Australia and most likely rare on a world scale.
Since most of the tumuli are on private ground, they are fenced it and can only be seen from some 100 meters away from Old Crusher Rd. It was not far away from Byaduk caves, so we decided to went there on our way to Melbourne.
After visiting the Wannon Falls and the Nigretta Falls we went to the south from Hamilton town to the Byaduk Caves. The Byaduk Caves in Mt Napier State Park are the most extensive and accessible set of lava caves in Australia. Being so young (only 8000 years), they are largely unweathered and in their natural state. The caves are accessed through collapsed roof sections and display many well-preserved features left by the retreating and cooling lava. The largest tunnels are up to 18 metres wide, 10 metres high, and extend to depths of 20 meters below the surface.
Byaduk Caves are reached via the Byaduk Caves Road, 18 km from Hamilton on the Hamilton-Port Fairy Road.
On our way back home we made a stop at the Wannon Falls and the Nigretta Falls lookouts. We were lucky to see these waterfalls in full flow. Both of them are located near Hamilton town. The area around Hamilton was known as Volcano Country. This was evident as we noticed traces of basalt formations in the lip of the falls providing the hard layer necessary for waterfall formation.
To get to waterfalls follow signs on Glenelg Hwy - both of them are well signed.
Althought the shortest way from Naracoorte to Melbourne is to follow A8 route via Ararat and Ballarat, we decided to follow routes B160 and B140, as we had a plan to visit Points Reserve Arboretum near Coleraine, Nigretta & Wannon Falls near Hamilton, Byaduk Caves, Tumuli and Mount Rouse Reserve near Penshurst town.
In this post I am going to show you some photos which I took when we visited one of the largest collections of Eucalypts in the Southern Hemisphere, as well as extensive collections of other Australian plants at Peter Francis Points Arboretum in Coleraine.
Thirty years ago cave explorer Grant Gartrell and palaeontologist Rod Wells of Flinders University were exploring Victoria Cave in Naracoorte hoping to find fossil bones when they broke through to a concealed passageway. In the unexplored caverns beyond they discovered the largest, most diverse and best preserved Pleistocene vertebrate fossil assemblage in Australia in what is now known as the Fossil Chamber. Because of the extraordinary richness and potential of these fossil deposits, the Naracoorte Caves were declared a World Heritage site in 1994. Recognised as one of the world's most important fossil sites, the caves offer experiences for all ages. These caves were main attraction of this trip to the Limestone Coast.
Port MacDonnell is located 30km south of Mount Gambier, and is the South Australia's most southern point. It is famous for its rocky capes of spectacular wave eroded formations (the most spectacular being those to the near west at Cape Northumberland), colony of Little Penguins, Cape Northumberland Lighthouse, Port MacDonnell & District Maritime Museum and its lobsters, having the largest lobster fishing fleet in Australia.
We went to the Cape Northumberland after we spent a whole day in Mount Gambier. We were lucky to see beautiful sunset and even spotted a little penguin!
As you know, we started our day walking around Blue Lake and Valley Lake, then went to the crater of Mount Schank. After that we went back and spent a rest of the day in Mt Gambier, exploring the town. We went to interactive museum "The Lady Nelson" Visitor&Discovery Centre, looked at HMS Lady Nelson, visited Cave Garden and Umpherston Sinkhole.
Just 20 minutes south of Mount Gambier is Mount Schank, an extinct volcano rising abruptly from the plains to 158 metres above sea level. Mount Schank is part of the Newer Volcanics Province, which is the youngest volcanic field in Australia. Mount Schank erupted in the Holocene, 5,000 years ago, about the same time as Mount Gambier. It is a very basic ash cone perhaps a hundred metres high, and the base of the crater does not extend below the water table, so there is no crater lake as with those at Mount Gambier.
We went there for a crater floor walk (1.3 km return) and spent around 2h in there.
We have arrived to Mt Gambier, South Australia, hurray! It is 4th state/territory in Australia that we've visited (we've already been in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Victoria). Mount Gambier's location equal distance from Adelaide and Melbourne makes it an ideal stopover for travellers going to and from Kangaroo Island, the Great Ocean Road and the Grampians. It is also a perfect destination for longer stays to enjoy the natural and cultural beauty of the surrounding region, the caves and sinkholes, coastline, rivers, lakes and wineries.
We came here to lear more about some of the Kanawinka Geo Park attractions: Blue Lake, Lake Valley, Mount Gambier and Mt Schank.